Vertigo
by Vonsiel
Summary: OC,Atsuka and Kakashi were lovers once. Now with Genma subdued, what will happen between the two? I suck at summaries,I know. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

-1This story takes place about two years before Team 7. I do not own Naruto, or any characters from the story.

"You know, you'll wear yourself sooner or later…"

Heavy breaths seared their way out of the woman's chest as her shoulders slightly rose from their drooped position. Hazel eyes slowly peered through a curtain of dark sienna tresses to a tree coated in kunai, shuriken and a number of senbon. Under the olive green vest and dark jounin shirt and pants, her toned torso and limbs were drenched in sweat; it dripped in lazy droplets from her forehead to the grassy earth. Watching, her dangling arms seemed to be goal posts for each translucent drop. With a sigh, the woman stood straighter, and turned her head so as she could view her visitor.

_Shiranui_

Of course it was him; the handsome, caramel haired and eyed jounin with that trademark sliver of metal senbon perched idly between his lips, which were displayed in a devious grin. Leaning gingerly against a tree, the man's eyes traveled over the woman as they did with most, until they settled on her hazel orbs.

"Well, Genma," the woman began to tell in a rich, lulling voice, "I could say the same to you," she finished with a smirk. He didn't have to ask twice about her meaning, neither would anyone who deemed their selves Genma's friend. It was a little known fact that Genma was one of the biggest flirts in all of Konoha, a reputation the sly jounin stayed true to over the years.

"Ouch, so harsh, Tsukatu," the man gave with a little pout that quickly changed into another mischievous grin. "Say, Atsuka?"

"Yeah, what is it, Shiranui?"

There was a pause as his eyes trailed over her once again. "Call me crazy, but I think you got even hotter over the last few days," Genma told with a smile that would easily melt most women's heart, but Atsuka didn't like to think of herself as being that easy. She only gave him a blank stare and turned her back towards him as she went to retrieve her weapons from the tree she had deemed 'hers' over the past years. Plucking a kunai previously embedded deeply in the thick bark, she smirked unknowingly to him and tucked the thing in her holster.

"Say, Genma?" She grinned as she threw his words back at him. Genma rose a brow, not one to let even the smallest of things go unnoticed, and pushed away from the tree.

"Uh huh?" he asked, slightly dragged out in a hum.

"Call me crazy… but I think you got cockier over the past few days."

There was a brief pause.

"Hmm," Genma finally returned with a small laugh to follow. "I won't say it's not possible, Atsuka." This retrieved a small chuckle from the kunoichi. "At least you still think I'm funny."

"You're quite the entertainer, Genma… I'm sure you know this already," she gave as she went back to plucking each silver weapon from the tree trunk. Genma only leaned back against the tree, waiting for her to finish obviously. When she had, and turned about, she frowned when he wasn't in sight. She was too tired to play games, and it seemed he just started yet another round of their ongoing sport of 'guess where I'll appear next?' Genma always started it. Placing a hand to her head as if to stifle a headache, the woman was about to take off until there was a warmth against her back that added to the discomfort of the sticky sweat that was still sliding down her skin. She felt her ear tingle as hot breath teased it, a hand then wrapped about her front.

"Gen…" She gave a soft shudder as his tongue gently rounded the shell of her ear. Trying to hold herself together under his seductive touches, no matter how big or small they managed to be, she turned herself about and placed two finger to his mouth to prevent any forward movement of his head towards her own. She noticed the senbon was gone as her hazel eyes flickered from his lips to his caramel eyes which bore into her own with such intensity of passion she fought to keep her gaze strong.

_It's such a bittersweet gaze…_

"Hmm?" was all he gave in response, her hand not occupied with keeping him at bay was placed on his chest; she could feel the soft hum of his smooth tones even through that thick vest he sported. His own free hand gently came up and found its way about hers, bringing those two fingers away form his lips. She was about to give in as he leaned in 'for the kill', his lips almost brushing her own. With a deep breath, though, Atsuka composed herself before he could go any farther.

"Not today, Shiranui," she whispered, eyes flickering between his. By theirs looks, and by the way his gentle embrace loosened, he knew she was in fact serious, and gave up. The fact that she called him by his surname was a red flag enough.

"Alright, Tsukatu," he told with a warm, but equally serious, Genma smile, and reached down shortly to bring a fresh, or perhaps the same and most favored, senbon to his lips. Although no longer in an embrace, the two stood toe to toe. The corners of Atsuka's lips were tugged into a small smile. Genma, although a whore and a big flirt, was a good friend and someone she found hard to be peeved with, no matter the circumstances.

"Come with me to the pub? I'll buy you a drink; what do you say, Tsukatu?"

"Sure," she responded with a grin and Genma reflected with his own.

"Great! I haven't had a drink since yesterday," he exclaimed as they headed out of the small clearing in the Konoha forest.

"You freakin' alchie, Shiranui."

He only gave a smooth laugh.

The bustling atmosphere of the pub was something Atsuka could never get accustomed to, although, she noted years back, Genma certainly fit right in with his warm laughter and smiles, along with the winks at the women and the slaps on the men's backs. The two jounin fought their way through the crowd to a table filled with other Konoha elite.

"Hey, Shiranui, 'bout time you got here!" came the loud voice of the plum haired Anko. She slightly rose from her seat and laughed as Genma frowned. Atsuka concluded some time ago when she first met the wild kunoichi, that she really did not enjoy the woman very much. Anko felt the same towards her, something she let known verbally some years ago, and not much changed between the two woman since then.

"Sorry, Mitarashi, I was a bit busy today," Genma told, and the woman's light sienna orbs flickered to the woman behind. She smirked and didn't do well to hide it.

"Hey there, Tsukatu," she told with raised brows. Atsuka smiled slightly and nodded to the rest who greeted the new comers. Pushed into a seat, Genma settled down quickly as he was passed his first round of sake by Anko, Atsuka turning down her numerous offers with the excuse of 'sorry I'm not much of a drinker', which was mostly true. Of course they all knew this, but still, they always tried to insist.

Taking note that Genma was on his third sake as the time rolled on, and looking quite humble, Atsuka quietly slipped away and out of the pub into the lazy evening air rich with spirits and the smells of baked goods from a local market. A half hour surrounded by so many persons was something she still couldn't bare, even if around her friends.

"See you finally emerged..."

The woman turned at the words from the lazy, silver haired jounin, who sat some feet away, reading an orange colored book, as usual. She smiled as she walked over to accompany him on the bench he occupied. Letting out a deep sigh, her head tilted back until it gently bumped against the wooden planks that lined the pub's outside. Seeing as she was on his right, and good side, he closed his book and lazily turned his aloof, slate grey eye to the kunoichi aside him.

"Something bothering you?" his rich voice asked, slightly muffled by that mask he wore. She opened her eyes and they settled on what she could see of his one. Hatake Kakashi wasn't, in her mind, the type of person to sit and listen to most peoples' problems -even though she knew herself to be an exception- so she shook her head and leaned forward, eyes traveling down her outstretched legs to her toes that poked out from her dark sandals.

"No… I'm fine," she told to reassure the copy-nin, watching her feet still as she flexed her toes idly, brushing aside her coffee hair from her fair face. Kakashi frowned under that mask of his, but, did not press the matter. After a few moments of just sitting in each other's company while listening to the activity inside the pub, did Kakashi speak again.

"It's almost been a year since the mission, Atsuka… we were all afraid, you know," he reminded her softly, looking across the street at the small shoppes and stalls. The woman besides him shifted, but not from unease. Pulling her legs back so she could slouch over and drape her arms over her thighs, she sighed again.

"I know," she gave in response, her own voice much softer. Again, she stared at her feet, examining the small moons on her big toes, the crescent of peach against the pink nail bed and the sliver of clear nail itself. Feeling his hand on her back, she peeked at him through her tresses, his visible eye creased in a smile.

"Walk?"

He didn't have to ask twice.

Rising with him, the two leisurely took off down the street. Silently, they made their way to their usual spot; the memorial stone. The both of them had their fair share of missing friends; long past loved ones. Even now at twenty-three, Atsuka still remembered the day when she was informed of her parents' death. She had only been four, but the memory was clear as if it happened just the day before. Atsuka watched as the lazy jounin wandered over to crouch before the dark stone and tenderly rub a finger over a few memorized names of those he had cherished most that were carved neatly into the stone.

"You've been friendly with Shiranui lately," he told after a few, long minutes of silence. It was a question that made the woman slightly taken aback, but this she did not show. If Anko noticed, surely Kakashi would sooner or later. She thought as the man before her as her rock, and wondered if he felt that same way about her now. Atsuka could always find a calmness with Kakashi she couldn't extract from anyone else, and it sometimes managed to creep into her when the two shared time together.

"Not something I'm overly pleased with," she muttered, yet he clearly caught the words and the unsure way she spoke them. Genma and Kakashi were good friends, this Atsuka knew. If anyone knew the real Genma, it would be this lazy ninja before her. Yet, if anyone knew the real her, it would be Kakashi as well. Standing, he grinned as he walked over, past Atsuka, to go sit against his favorite tree, she in his wake. As he settled down, with Atsuka at his side, he looked up into the honey streaked sky as the sun was near her death, the moon visible in the gradient of deepening blues.

"He's a good guy," he said after a while, his eyes now closed and arms propped on bent legs.

"Hmm…" She knew he was, but she also didn't know the man as well as Kakashi did.

The copy-nin leaned his head back as he let his thoughts run fleet in his mind. Atsuka did in fact seem someone compatible for Shiranui Genma. She could anchor him down nicely if she wanted to. Strong both physically and mentally, this woman besides him was really one to fight over with her gorgeous visage and well educated mind.

He almost laughed when he thought back to when they started to first spend time together. The both thought themselves to make a suitable couple, until they found that trust came in the form of friendship, not passion and longing. Although, he had to admit that sometimes he thought as her as something akin to a soul mate; yet, he couldn't find it in his heart to pour affection into a woman who needed someone who could be there always for her. Kakashi wasn't one for commitments, and she understood him perfectly. Pleased that those fleeting months of lust could turn into something as deep and true as the friendship they shared now, Kakashi long past decided he wouldn't change it for the world.

He cracked open his eye to see her head dipped with her leg crossed and her arms in her lap. She reminded him of when she was younger in that position, shy and timid, but also holding an uncanny strength beneath those unsocial layers. How she changed over the years, and for the better, he thought. Reaching over, he gently tucked stray tresses of her silky, chocolate hair behind a delicate ear. Hazel eyes peeked open and settled on his one. Not able to hide a smile, Atsuka lifted her head and looked to the sky.

"I think you'll make the right choice," Kakashi told as his eyes followed hers to the melting colours of the setting sun.

"I hope so."


	2. Chapter 2

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of those characters.**

Ch.2

_Blood was flowing freely; it ran in water downed rivers as the rain poured through the canopy above. Through the splintering leaves, the sky was dark as midnight set in. And yet, she had to move on. The only survivor of a four man squad, she was sure she was going to die soon, but she couldn't let it happen this way; she couldn't die in some forest with no one to find her. _

_Her hands, although hidden under the black fabric of those long, ANBU gloves, were burnt from over use of chakra, which she was completely out of. She couldn't recall how long she ushered it into her feet to flee from death and find her way home. A good two hours at least. But, with what she though was most likely a concussion, all she could focus on was the somewhat familiar trees about her. Lacking the skills of logical thinking at the moment, it did not dawn upon her that ANBU squads passed by frequently. Stumbling along, the last thing she could recall was falling to her knees and into darkness before her face hit the wet, grassy earth below._

_When she opened her eyes though, it wasn't to the forest; wasn't to heaven or hell, but a softly lit hospital room accompanied with the random beeps from the machines that monitored her health. It felt to her that she had only been out for a mere second, but something told her that she was been lying soundlessly in the bed she currently occupied for quite some time. Blinking lazily, her mind then took in the immense soreness she had throughout her body, and mostly her head. _

_Something other than the droning beeps caught her ears then; it sounded like soft whispers across the room. Lifting her head, she peered through her hazy eyes to see two people chatting softly by the window. One had been talking, and the other turned their head slightly towards her. The morning light that shone through the glass panes caught the person's messy, silver locks. The other had vigorous caramel hair about their shoulders. _

_They moved closer, and she closed her eyes, head falling back into the pillow. Hearing her name being spoken by rich voices made her heart leap; she really was alive. Her legs were shifted as someone sat at the end of her bed, blocking out the almost blinding light, and she felt a tear slip down the side of her face…_

-----------------------------

Although she didn't like to think of herself as being nostalgic, she often found herself reminiscing about the failed mission that took place some months ago. It was soon to be a year the next month. But now, in middle October, it still seemed close. Atsuka couldn't remember a time when she was that pleased to see Kakashi; back then, she wasn't too familiar with Genma as she was now. Yet, he was there on that day she woke up after being in a minor coma for nearly three months. Kakashi told her he came each night, save those nights when he had a mission, to wait for her to wake, and that Genma had tagged along a few nights to keep him company. She remembered that even then, in a hospital, there was a senbon between his lips.

Kakashi had also agreed to help her recover, seeing how she was quite rusty and lanky from sleeping for three months straight. With their days of being lovers over, is was then that they really got to know one another. They had time to talk when they usually said little to nothing during their time together. It was awkward for the first few weeks; sometimes they slipped during sparing sessions, Kakashi almost always being the one to calm things down and get back to business at hand. It was true they couldn't deny their love for one another, although neither had ever used the term in fear of the other becoming scared. She herself had fear of commitment when Kakashi spoke of his own. It was then, after the second month, they decided that they could no longer be 'friends with benefits', that neither could imagine losing their friendship due to events that could possibly occur in the future. Although, ambitions were concealed well.

Both ninjas were pleased at their ability to keep their personal life concealed from their friends and Konoha. They never suspected the two to be anything more than close friends, seeing how they told no one of their nights together. There were times that Genma suspected something, Kakashi having to reassure him that he only thought of Atsuka as a dear friend, like he thought Genma to be, and nothing more.

This, of course, gave Genma the straight away to flaunt his lazy friend's female comrade, which he took to with gusto. It wasn't too much of a shock to find him tagging along during one of her and Kakashi's training sessions the day after he flirted with her the night before during a little shin-dig the elites held at the pub. It peeved her slightly. Atsuka enjoyed her training with the copy-nin, and the hours they spent conversing or just sitting together after a drawn out spar or lessons on the new jutsus Kakashi began to teach her. With Genma watching her every move, soaking in the way she fought and walked and talked, she was beginning to have problems focusing on Kakashi's attacks or words of advice when she could feel those toffee colored eyes intently on her person.

One day, while Atsuka waited for Kakashi, and Genma, who attended frequently for a month after the first day he tagged along, she was taken aback when the flirtatious jounin came alone. Her first thoughts were that perhaps Kakashi had a mission, but he would have surely mentioned it to her, wouldn't he? Not moving an inch from her spot, she merely watched with cool eyes as Genma neared her, cocky grin with senbon in tow, until he stopped some ten yards away from her.

"Where's Kakashi?" she had asked him in a tone that made her sound more curious then worried. At first, just like Genma, he didn't say anything, just looked at her, hands in his pockets as he leaned onto one leg.

"He has business with ANBU," Genma had answered back. It was true enough, she remembered the copy-nin talking about helping out with some mission planning and things of that manner. He had told her they called him in unannounced most of the time, so she figured that day was on of those _to be announced_ days.

"So why did you come, Shiranui," she had asked him after some moment of thought. Genma smirked at how she called him by his surname, but never asked why. It was common thing to do, but when she said it, he couldn't help but find it amusing and something a little more than that.

"I told Hatake I'd take over for him today… if that's okay with you, Tsukatu?" Atsuka remembered that she wanted to say that she wasn't okay with it. Yet, being a twenty and five year old woman, she acted professional and accepted his tutoring, but kept caution all the while. From then on, whenever Kakashi was too busy with ANBU or things of that manner, it seemed Genma always had an open schedule to accommodate for the copy-nin. Two months had past then; May. Kakashi's schedule wasn't too full, but it still pulled him aside now and then which allowed Genma to have more time with Atsuka, something he wasn't liking. None the less, the caramel haired jounin managed to talk his way into teaching his not too social or 'Genma-like' Tsukatu. It was true that Genma was very handsome and charming, and he made Atsuka laugh on more than one occasion.

One, lazy May day, though, Atsuka witnessed, once again, Genma doing what he does best; flirting. Yet, that day was much different than most days spent alone, training with the senbon-chewing jounin. Kakashi had told her the night before that he couldn't come the next day, so of course, when she saw Genma's head rise above the horizon, his backwards placed hitai-ate bandana, she didn't have that slightly peeved demeanor Genma usual saw about her. That day, she just looked more aloof than normal as she watched him with her lazy hazel eyes, gentle breezes playing through her chocolate tresses.

Genma had stopped some feet away, his cocky grin melted into a more or less placid expression as the two merely regarded each other. The afternoon sun reflected off the senbon between those lips. Atsuka could see the experience in his caramel eyes which was usually covered by his witty charm or flirtatious smiles. He seemed to be able to become mature then, for Genma, someone who, even though was around twenty-seven, acted as if they were-twenty one. It was a first, Atsuka not questioning him about Kakashi's whereabouts, and so he commented, like she knew he would.

"What's this, no interrogation?" his voice was soft, almost distant, but hinted with slight humor and sarcasm. She had merely bobbed her shoulders and brushed aside strands of hair from her delicate face. It was that day the both of them didn't quite feel like sparring or discussing jutsus or talking about things of that fashion. Both took to the shade of a tree and just sat for a long while until silence finally broke in the form of Atsuka sneezing. Genma used this as an advantage to strike up conversation.

"_Bless you…"_

"_Thanks."_

"_Say… Tsukatu?"_

_  
"Yeah?…"_

They merely talked about their interests and dislikes, and shared their view points about the elites of Konoha. The two of them couldn't help but laugh as they agreed that Anko was, to simply put it, permanently pissed off, and that Gai needed to get over himself, and fast. Genma admitted he thought highly of himself, Atsuka nodding in agreement, but Gai was, in their opinion, just plain weird.

She didn't really mind it when Genma scooted next to her against the large trunk, or when his hand found her own in that almost '_oh, I'm sorry'_ way, yet he kept it there none the less. He didn't seem to mind when her head slid gently down to rest upon his strong shoulder; the way her hair cascaded over his olive green vest and deep navy shirt in sienna streams. An arm snaked about her waist, his head touched the top of hers. They sat in what seemed bliss for a long while, both of them not daring to speak for some reason they couldn't comprehend.

By the time Genma offered to walk her home, it was well into the evening, the wispy clouds were stretched over the canvas of blue sky like rose and lavender hued cotton candy. As they walked, Genma admitted that Atsuka was a 'special' kind of woman, not like those who threw them selves upon him night after night at the village pub. He wanted very much so to get to know Atsuka. She had to admit that Genma could have his moments while still staying true to himself. The walk to Atsuka's apartment wasn't long, yet, no words were exchanged between the two. Upon her door step did his hand find her chin, lifting it gently up, her eyes had flickered to his. The senbon was plucked gently from his lips by then, and Atsuka was more than clear of his intentions.

It was soft and sweet, the kiss that he left upon the woman's lips. Nothing too productive, but something to let her know that yes, he was clearly interested. He grinned softly where as she only blinked, lips parting minutely when he leaned away, and gave his good-nights with a little wave of his and as he stepped off her doorstep and walked lightly down the street. There were no sweeping tongues or heavy breaths, and no groping or a tight embrace. It was just something, Atsuka concluded, as being innocent and simple. But simple wasn't a word to compare Shiranui Genma with.


	3. Chapter 3

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of those characters.**

Ch.3

"I miss our sparring."

There was a pause.

"Huh… what was that?"

"Sparring… I miss our training together."

Hazel orbs lit by the December, morning glow, peer at him over the top of his book, delicate face framed in sienna locks. Setting the book in his lap, he put his full attention on the kunoichi who sat with her arms wrapped about his right, bent leg, chin resting stop his knee. His hitai-ate was pushed up and mask pulled down, something he did often and almost always when he was just with her. He noticed both her eyes watched his piebald left, something the woman did often, and he chuckle inwardly to himself. _You're lucky I know you so well,_ he mused in thought. She blinked lazily when his eyes creased in amusement, the corners of his lips gently upturned in a smile, and her eyes then swept between the crimson and black spotted sharingan, and the other, deepening grey, every few moments.

"They aren't really necessary… you're more than better now," he told at last, answering her question. Feeling the grip from her long, slender fingers of both hands tighten gently about his leg, he waited for her response. But, first she lowered her head so her brow was flat to his kneecap, her hair curtaining about it. Slowly, her hand trailed down his leg to the dark blue holster to unsnap the little catch, then re-snap it over and over again. It made him think of people who attacked those squishy foam balls to relieve stress. He learned to drone out the snapping noise some years ago, and waited for her to submerge from her 'hiding spot'. He knew she almost had it all out when the snapping increased its tempo, then slowly receded until she snapped it shut for the last time, her hand returning to its former perch on his leg.

"I know," she started to respond, her voice muffled slightly, then her head lifted and her chin plopped into his knee once more. "I'm just sayin'." His other leg rose, she between the two, and he leaned it to her, nudging her in the back. She frowned and filled her cheek with air, they puffing out like a squirrel, until it slowly leak out when her lips barely parted. Her eyes looked past him, blank, he figuring she was lost in thought. His foot slid out until his leg lay flesh with the earth once more, and he lifted his book back up and continued to scan the familiar pages.

"It's Shiranui, isn't it?" he asked after a few minutes of silence. Her head rose slightly as she opened her mouth and then snapped her jaw shut, earning a tap from her pearly teeth as they connected, which sent a small vibration through his leg. Another thing she did when she was reminiscing. Her eyes closed as she let out a soft sigh, arms wrapping tighter about his legs, she started swaying. She felt him tense his muscles so she wouldn't topple over as she did so. After hearing the soft pop from what she concluded was the joint of his femur and his pelvis, she stopped and frowned.

"Sorry…"

"It's alright… but you didn't answer my question."

Her eyes opened to see he had set his book back down in his lap, his eyes boring into her own. Such an intense stare he had, she found it slightly made her timid, and made her think about their past all at once. With a groan, she gave in and nodded. He had thought as much; rumors tend to spread quickly through Konoha, especially through the elite due to one, overly observant, Mitarashi Anko. Biting down on her lip gently, she shook her head and averted her eyes.

"Eh… I feel like I'm twelve again," she mumbled, and he didn't have to ask what she meant by that. "…Genma might be a good guy… but he's also a good whore…" This drew a chuckle from the silver haired jounin she lounged on like a lazy housecat. She decided that if she had claws, she'd use his leg for a scratching post at that moment. Instead, she lifted her head and not too gently gave him a bite on the knee. "Don't laugh," she said through a mouth full of dark, navy jounin pants. The grin he wore was genuine, but he ceased his chuckles.

"He is a good guy, but he does have his quirks. You'll just have to be patient, Tsuka," he told, using that little nickname to address her, knowing she didn't really enjoy it all too well, made clear when she gave his leg a little pinch. But, she did take heed of his words with a 'hmm' and let the bunch of pant fall from her teeth. Lately, when she concerned herself and Genma, she felt like a small portion of his many meals of women. An appetizer while others tended to be the main entrée. Others who she knew to be quite open in what they were willing to offer. She wasn't nearly as willing as them most of the time.

On those night filled with sake and lust, things tend to get out of hand. She wasn't overly proud of herself, but being honest with herself, she wasn't getting any young. That made her grin. Here she was saying this where she was merely in her twenties and practically at her peek. Perhaps Genma noticed this only when all other woman became a bore and he wanted something a bit more conservative. She didn't really think of herself as a conservative person, but her demeanor and expressions often spoke for her when her mouth moved naught. She wondered what he thought on those nights after she'd slip out of his apartment back to her own, or he from hers?

After that May day when he walked her home, he and her spent the next month becoming more acquainted, until their time together dwindled to very little the month after. Currently, she'd find him lounging upon her door step after a long day's training, or she'd find herself wandering past his in hopes that he'd be returning from the pub, which more than half of those times he was doing just that. Although, not as gifted as Kakashi, Genma was one to praise. She silently blamed Kakashi, thinking he started this all when he allowed Genma to come unaccompanied to train her that day. Whatever made her soften up to Genma was unknown to her, and she learned she really didn't change the flirting jounin one bit when it came to women over the past months.

Coming back to reality, she noticed her lazy friend reading, his eyes slowly pursuing the lines of the book in his hands. She had a brief encounter with her life a few years ago as she watched the former man in her life become engrossed in a world she really never cared to discover for herself. But, of course he knew her eyes were on him, soaking him in and tracing his strong jaw line and the scar that ran over his left eye. Although he knew the way she hung on him was innocent and meant nothing, he knew that she secretly wish that it could still mean something. It did still held the same effect, though, and he had to admit that even though she didn't mean to flirt or subconsciously taunt him, that was the very thing she managed to put forth.

When he felt the weight on his leg disappear, he didn't have to look up from his reading material to know her next move. Just as quickly as her warmth and weight had left him, it was back in the form of her arms wrapped about his waist and her head buried into his chest. Holding the book in one hand, he wrapped his arms about the woman, his hand resting with a comforting affect on her hip. A sigh escaped her lips and she secretly wanted the embrace to be more than one shared between friends. He had to close his eyes for a brief moment himself, and allow thoughts of stealing her away and relieving her of his flirtatious friend to pass, remembering that he could probably cause the woman much more pain than Genma.

-------------

The lights in her tidy apartment we all off. The kitchen cast in a celestial glow from the moon, along with the fluorescent glow of a street light, that poured through the window, the blinds pulled back to allow its entrance. The only noise came from the soft ticks of a clock on the wall, and the chirps of crickets outside her window. She sat at her kitchen table, clad in but a simple robe of forest green. Staring lazily out the window at the lamp post, her keen eyes could make out the flickering forms of moths trying to absorb the warmth.

_Damn…_

The clock on the wall with its perpetual ticking told her it was almost five in the morning, she could see the dark sky above Konoha begin to fade away into the beginnings of a lighter azure mingled with gold on the horizon about the tops of the buildings and trees. Leaning back in her that cold, metal chair, she made her bare feet lay flesh against the cool tile, sending a shiver up her body, making the delicate skin become flushed with goose bumps.

He had come again that night. After spending the rest of the day with Kakashi in the clearing, then the ramen stand after her offer of dinner, she returned home to find him waiting for her in the shadows of her doorstep. She was a bit surprised, it had been a few weeks since last he came. She remembered watching her breath become wispy vapor in the cold December air. With a handsome smirk, Genma took her into a warming embrace, and that's when the two found their way inside.

_He always leaves at four… _

It was true, he'd leave usually at four in the morning, sometimes earlier. She'd always find herself at the table she currently occupied, running over the night's events, trying to decide what she really wanted from the senbon loving jounin. She did have a mission briefing in a few hours, and decided that during her time gone, she could think about it then. Rising from her chair, she headed off to shower clean sweat and Genma's rich and alluring cologne, a smell that had also managed to find her way into her sheets most nights he stopped by.


	4. Chapter 4

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!**

ch4

Seven o'clock had rolled around finally, and she took to the Konoha streets feeling clean and refreshed on the outside, yet inside she still felt displeased. It didn't take her long to get to the briefing, which started at seven thirty, allowing her time to wander before heading over to sit in some of the most uncomfortable chairs Konoha has for a good long while. It was going to be her third mission after the dreadful one that occurred more than a year ago. A simple exchange of scrolls between them and the water country. Although she hadn't been to the mist village before on many missions, it sounded like a simple exchange. As Morino Ibiki, and Mitarashi Anko, two of the villages lead special jounin continued on, they seemed to think it was a much more important matter than what she had in mind. So, Atsuka decided to set aside those thoughts, and take the mission as serious as those two. They were apparently journeying to an area of the water country that was thick with ninja, those who were not at humble as the one's in the main Mist territory. Caution was to be taken in plentiful heaps.

She would be leaving in two days with three other ANBU, one of them would be their medic. She wasn't acquainted with the three, and secretly wished she could go with at least one person she knew, but she would have to bite the bullet and suck it up instead. Pleased that she was chosen to go on a mission like this, she didn't complain to any of the orders, especially the one that might have them gone for a good few weeks.

_I'll have plenty of time to think now_.

With good byes, and a snide glare from Anko, Atsuka left the room and briefly took a moment to introduce herself to her three ANBU team mates. The medic was a younger male of nineteen years, his name Hatsuragi Osamu. He was handsome, with dark hair and eyes, as was the other male team member, although a bit older at twenty-two with striking, ice blue eyes, named Yamamoto Shinji. The last member was a female, a twenty year old, green haired and honey eyed Oshiro Manami, who made a point in stating she simply liked to be called Nami. Atsuka was and wasn't pleased that there was at least one female on her team, finding the presence of other kunoichi a good and bad thing. Although, she did enjoy the fact that she was the oldest, and mentally did a happy dance before she said her farewells and took leave from the ANBU headquarters.

Greeted by the familiar slouching shoulders of her favorite copy-ninja when she stepped onto the streets, it seemed as if her was waiting for her to come out. He gave her his trademark 'Yo' and rise of his hand, and Atsuka narrowed her eyes.

"This is a first, I usually have to hunt you down. Is something wrong, or do you just happen to be passing by?" He eyed her for a moment, but his visible creased in a smile.

"I was just curious about you mission, that's all," he told her in his slightly muffled voice.

"I'm not leaving for two days," she told as she rubbed her hands together, shivering a little from the winter wind passing by. He noted this with a little 'you're so hopeless' frown, and he pulled his hands of his pockets, each had a black glove of warm looking fabric clutched inside. Atsuka stared at them for a moment, blinking a few times. They were hers, and she wondered what had happened to the little devils. Kakashi laughed and handed them over, which she hastily adorned over her slender fingers.

"I found those in my closet," he told her as she finished pushing each finger into a cozy sleeve. Wriggling her fingers at her sides, and grinned.

"Yeah… these probably weren't the only things in there," she told softly as she looked back to that grey eye watching her lazily. He gave a 'hmm' in response, and stowed his hands into his pockets once more.

"There actually _is_ more," he told softly, and she could tell by the way he said it, he didn't mind that were was more of her belongs inside his home. Atsuka had to admit to the few shirts and pairs of pants she horded from him years past that were still laying inside her own closet. This, she never told him, but he figured over time that clothes don't leave on their own, but he never mentioned anything about them. Taking off down the street, Atsuka fell into place at his side. "Who else is going?"

"I don't know any of them, but I am the oldest in the group," she told, and he noted her slight pleasure about that with a silent chuckle. "Not that it really matters, though."

_Liar_.

"He's only a year younger."

_Like a month wouldn't matter_.

"I'm not the one really leading, but it's not a big deal."

_Sure it's not_.

"I'm just glad I can get out."

"You'll be gone for a while, then?" he finally spoke aloud.

"Perhaps a week or two… maybe longer, I don't know. Ibiki isn't really clear on that." Kakashi rolled his eyes, knowing all too well about the scared man and his many 'I'm not too sure about that for the time being' moments. "It's just a simple scroll trade, but Akno and him said that we are going into areas of water that are heavy with ninja who aren't too loyal with the main Mist Village, so we've got to take caution."

"Hmm… so this time it's an ANBU mission…"

"Yeah…" the last two missions she was sent on were merely jounin orientated, having nothing to do with ANBU. Kakashi closed his eyes, remembering the last time his friend had donned the sleek uniform, she almost died. But his confidence in her was strong, and he didn't put too much worry into the matter. "It's been a while…"

"Hmm… since what?"

"Since you've been with ANBU," she answered with a flicker of her eyes at him. He knew all too well what she meant with that little smirk and gleam in her eyes. It was a little known fact that ANBU uniforms were quite the turn on. Atsuka always managed to throw him curve balls over the months, and as much as he wanted to say something, he bit his tongue each time, fearing he might slip once again. It would be a lie if he said he didn't think about Atsuka in an ANBU uniform in a non-professional way. Hell, she was pretty damn hot in those long, black gloves and form fitting shirt and pants, white vest to top it all off. He couldn't help but think about it now that she mentioned it, and how the two used the uniform to their advantage a few years ago. Glaring back over at her, he could see her amusement in those hazel orbs. Fighting the urge to punch her or lock her in a genjutsu for making him think such thoughts, he looked ahead and was silent then. Yet, with her then constantly keeping her eyes on him as they walked, he let out a deep sigh and slouched his shoulders once again.

"You're horrible sometimes," he told, still pushing aside thoughts of her in that way. She only smirked and patted his arm.

"There, there; I'm only teasing you," she told with a chuckle as she let her arm fall back to her side, gloves fingers slightly tapping on her legs. She could be just as bad as their senbon-chewing Genma. Kakashi frowned and stifled the urge to attack her glossy lips and run his fingers through her silken hair.

_The hell you are!_

----------

The rest of that day passed with no sign of the caramel haired jounin. This, Atsuka was greatly happy for. If she saw him before she left, it might take effect over the next week or so. Spending the next morning before the mission day at the tailor to have her ANBU uniform cleaned up, she emerged from the store with the items in a bag, and headed off down the street to dump them off at home. It was noon by the time she returned there, and when she did, Kakashi was there waiting as he promised he'd train with her the night before. He looked at the bag she carried while leaning against her door, and pointed a finger at it.

"What's in there?"

Atsuka made a devious smile, and he noted that gleam in her eyes.

"You're turn on," she told coolly as she pushed him aside so as she could enter her apartment, returning to find him giving her a blank stare. Closing her door, she crossed her arms as he did, and gave a small chuckle despite trying to be serious. How she loved to tease him, it was almost like a game, and she was winning most of the time.

"That's not funny," he finally told her, his eye closing. "You know, I don't _have_ to help you train."

"Hmm… you're right," she told, letting her arms drop as she stepped of the door step and took off down the road. "Tell you what," she started as he began to follow, "I can put it on for a little while so you can get whatever it is out of your system," she finished with a glance at him over her shoulder, but he wasn't there. Looking back, he was walking lazily some paces in front of her, shoulders slouched and hands in his pockets.

"Or… I could put _mine_ on," he responded, not looking back. Atsuka closed her eyes, letting that vision soak her thoughts for a moment.

"Touché." _Point for Kakashi,_ the woman though as she was sure he wore an award winning smirk under that damned mask.

--------------

Atsuka was sure her little tease about dressing ANBU for Kakashi made him drain every ounce of strength from her during their training. Feeling like an over juiced orange, she was now the left over peels waiting to be thrown away. Yet, the sight of him breathing heavily, and the bruise forming about his visible eye, made her feel a bit more pleased about her current situation. Sitting down heavily after sliding a kunai she was about to launch at him into her holster, she laid back, her chest rising in rapid procession. If Kakashi hadn't ended their 'little' spar, she was sure that he'd have a kunai stinking out of his arm.

"Sorry… I got… carried away," she got out through labored breaths, wiping hair that was plastered to her sweat drench forehead. Her whole body ached, but it wasn't anything she couldn't recover from over night, save for a few, nasty bruises she knew she had gained over the last hour or so.

"It's alright," he responded, looking down at her with both eyes, but then the lid of his left finally drooped over the red and black dotted orb. She'd allow him to use his sharingan sometimes, and today was one of those times. He knew all her jutsus, how to counter them and intercept with his own. It was like fighting an unstoppable force. Sometimes, she'd close her eyes and use pure sense to track him. He usual went a little softer on her, but this time he was relentless.

"You landed a good kick to my arm though," he commented while rubbing the reddened skin between his gloved hand and rolled up sleeve tenderly. "It'd be broken if I didn't use my chakra," he told, and she took that as a complement. "But the kunai was slightly pushing it," he mentioned as he sat down himself, running a hand through his fair hair.

"I thought you said… it's alright?" she asked with a raised brow. He smiled, it visible seeing as his mask was pooled about his neck.

"It is… I was just a bit surprised," he told, eyes creased still. Very little did the two spar using weapons. But, pushed to her limits, Atsuka could tend to lose control and come to her last defenses, sparring session or not. Rolling over onto her front, she stared at him then, waiting for him to notice.

He did, and after a minute or so of locking eyes, he rose a questioning brow. Atsuka blinked, then her lips spread into a devious grin, as he expected them to.

"Still up for my offer?" she asked him in a rather innocent tone. With a blank stare, and one lazy blink, he scooted so his back was turned to her, she looking at that familiar knot of his hitai-ate on the back of his head and smiled. "Hmm…" As silent as she could, she crawled over like a cat would, even lowering herself close to the ground for a bit of momentum as she made to pounce.

But as her hands were just about to touch his back, there was a flicker in his movements and he was gone. With a 'oomph!', she hit the grassy earth, and then felt the air being squeezed from her lungs as a heavy weight landed on her back. With a hiss of pain, she yelled. "Ouch! Watch the back, you whore!" she screamed as she clutched a fistful of grass in each hand.

The weight slightly lessened, but still it was there. With one side of her face flesh with the ground, her eyes open and she strained to look at him from where her station was. Of course he looked smug with himself as she sat upon her, claiming yet another victory.

"I'm not the whore; Shiranui is," he told with a chuckle at how Atsuka managed to call most things she disliked that, whether it be a person, or something inanimate. She winced at the name, and did something Kakashi half expected her to do in the first place, but he was caught off guard from gloating. She disappeared, and he found himself sitting with his leg bent in the grass with a dumbfounded look upon his face. With little time to react, he felt himself being thrown back to find Atsuka perched sitting upon his own front, her feet securing his arms next to his head. A cold stink at his bare neck told him he might have done something terribly stupid and made her exceptionally pissed at him; he opened his eyes for the expected expression.

Following the hand that held the kunai at his neck, up her arm to her face, he found that the expected flaming eyes were brimmed with moisture, mouth slightly agape, brow somewhat trembling and her hand slightly shaking. He tried to talk, but found a slight sting on his neck and then the feel of something dribble warm along his skin. Slipping his hand out from under her foot, he easily took the kunai from her own hand and tossed it aside. Sitting slowly up, Atsuka fell into his lap as he gently took her into a strong embrace.

She had no friends that she could talk to. No mother or aunt or grandma. He then realized, all she really had was him to talk to, and he didn't think of himself as much as a verbal comforter. Although she did not shed tears, her head found his shoulder and as she snaked her arms about his back, she gripped tightly at his vest as if in fear of losing him for some naive reason. He rested his chin atop her head and ran his hand calmingly through her hair.

"Atsu-"

"Don't," she mumbled just loud enough for him to hear. She didn't want to talk, she just needed the physical comfort as her mind ran with frustration; frustration she couldn't really name. Or perhaps it was guilt? Sometimes she felt so guilty when she sat at her kitchen table after those nights he'd come, or when she'd slump down after returning home from his. She always felt like she was being used. Just another portion off the plate. And he was starting to understand. He always knew something was wrong, tearing her apart mentally. With a frown, he cursed the person guilty of scaring this woman.

_Damn…Damn you Shiranui…_

**Author notes! I know if you read this chapter before it said Atsuka was going to go to wind, then water…. I had it wind country then changed it to water and didn't notice until now… so I fixed it!**


	5. Chapter 5

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of those characters. Kishimoto does.**

Ch.5

"_I'm sorry…"_

"…_For what?…"_

"_For everything…"_

"…_What's everything?…"_

"_Ignorance… Idiocy…For not opening my eyes…"_

"…_Are they open now?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_Hmm…"_

"_Do you hate me?"_

"_I could never hate you…"_

"_Do you forgive me?"_

"…_always…"_

_---------------_

_Rain, rain…_

"Atsuka?"

_Go away…_

"Atsuka…"

_Come and play some other day…_

"Tsukatu!"

"Huh?"

Atsuka came back to herself then, once foggy reality under the tree became clear once more through the slits in her white, cat like mask, painted with one simple, curving stripe of red on each cheek. She tipped it up atop of her head to regard the person before her.

"We're moving out," Shinji told, his icy blue eyes like a beacon of light compared to his raven locks. With her own tied back, bangs curtaining her face, she nodded and rose from the damp grass. The rain's onslaught made the four members shiver and silently curse the weather. The long, garnet scarves draped about the shinobi's did little to give them warmth.

Tugging at the ends of her long, black gloves, Atsuka looked down at the same colored ANBU tattoo that stood out starkly against her fair skin. Tracing a finger over it, she sighed as she slid her mask back over her face, the cool porcelain not too noticeable due to the fact that her face was numb, mostly her nose and ears. She muttered things like toe-sickles under her breath, mentally cursing ANBU for their lack of warm clothing. But, she had to admit she would rather wear what she had then a thick, water drenched coat that could greatly slow her down.

They had been on the move for two days, and expected to be at the edge of fire territory by the next. A ferry was set up by the Hokage to take the four to the island of the water country. The Hokage also gave them a fair deal of money to snare the ferry man into staying put to take them back. It rang blackmail to Atsuka, but she couldn't argue seeing as she would rather take a boat back then waste precious chakra to run their way back to the fire land over the water.

The four all nodded at one another, and darted like arrows into the trees.

----------------

"Hey, Hatake?"

"Hmm?"

Kakashi looked down from his spot in a tree to see who other than Shiranui Genma. Not bother to close his reading material, the silver haired copy-nin merely placed it over his leg and rose a questioning brow at his friend below.

"Yes, what it is, Shiranui?"

"You're sounded a heck of a lot like Atsuka," Genma responded with a large grin and frowned when he didn't get a reaction from the sharingan user. "Where is the brown haired beauty, anyhow?"

Picking up his book once again, he continued reading. Genma wasn't new to Kakashi's lack of haste, and waited patiently.

"She's business with ANBU," he finally told after a longer than normal session of silence. Genma wasn't sure if he was teasing him, or caught up with something in that book of his. But when he said that, the senbon in his lips almost fell to the ground.

"ANBU? She's on a mission?" he asked a s little too quicker than he would have liked. He wasn't sure if Kakashi knew about the nights he and Atsuka shared now and then, and didn't want him to think that he was too worried about the more then capable kunoichi.

"She is," Kakashi gave lazily in return, and Genma silently did a 'Thank God' when the copy-nin didn't show any notice of Genma's haste reaction. Like Atsuka, Kakashi found it hard to stay mad at his friend, but what Genma didn't know was the secret anger Kakashi held towards him at the moment.

"_I guess… he made me feel… used…"_

Atsuka's words confession from the other day rang through his mind over and over again. He knew the two were in fact becoming friendly, but not _that_ friendly. He, in fact, didn't ever think Atsuka would stoop as low, not that Genma _wasn't_ a good guy, he was just unstable. She said she knew it would happen, and that if she could go back and change it she would have.

"_You know, it's your fault, Kakashi, that this thing with Genma happened…"_

"_I know… I shouldn't have let him come…"_

But the next day, as he thought back on the matter, he realized that 'I know' meant more than feeling sorry for letting Genma be able to 'get to know her better' those days he was too busy. He knew that she was merely being sarcastic, but he couldn't take it that way. It did seem like he was the one who caused it.

"I'm a bit behind on my reading, Shiranui. How 'bout we catch up later?"

"Sure thing, Hatake," he told with a devilish smirk as he turned about and left the way he came. Fighting the urge to throw a well placed shuriken at that leaf marked plate of metal on the back of Genma's head, Kakashi took in a deep breath and said to himself over and over again _Genma can't help but be Genma… Genma can't help but be Genma…_


	6. Chapter 6

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of those characters. Kishimoto does.**

_Ch.6_

"The ferry is up ahead," Osamu's, the young medic, voice called out from behind her . He apparently had superb eye sight, much better than her own, for all Atsuka could see through the thick fog were the trees that were growing farther apart as they went.

"Good," Nami muttered besides her, while Shinji said naught in the lead. Over the last two days, Atsuka concluded that Osamu was the nice, well mannered one. Nami was the short tempered and head strong one, and Shinji was the quite, yet, respectful one. She herself was quite, but enjoyed putting her say into things and helped Shinji, their group leader, discuss their mission and how to approach it, while Osamu would suffer onslaughts of stories from Nami, who he knew through family friends, while the group would stop and rest.

But the latter words were true as the three then spotted a man standing before his manageable ferry that was tied to a post at the water's edge. He wasn't the most attractive man, but was in top shape from what Atsuka could see under the slightly open top of his simple yukata. His feet were bare and what looked liked a woven hat people wore while harvesting the rice patties was set atop his head of not so clean locks of deep hair.

"It's about time you four got here," he told in a gruff voice as the group of ANBU clad shinobi landed in a semi-circle about him. Rubbing the end of his stubbly chin, the other rested on the shaft of what the four decided was the ore he used to push the ferry along the water, or at least to get the craft going until they hit deep water.

None of the four made a move to lift their masks, and the man was about to ask why until one stepped forward, his mask painted in two black stripes rimmed thinly in red that shot up from each jaw line, through the eye slits, to a tapered point on the brow. He brought out a pouch, which the man then discovered was a money purse after a moment of observation, and stared at the man's mask, seeing how it was impossible to see through those menacing slits to the possessor's eyes.

Atsuka thought idly that the man before he was luck he did not have to endure Shinji's cold gaze. The other two both had similar thoughts. Untying the flap to the purse, Shinji revealed a hefty sum.

"Our Hokage had informed us to ask you if you'll be willing to wait in the water country and take up back home. If you do not, we can always find another means, but seeing how the Hokage has paid you in advance, you will still take us across. If you refuse, we have been given permission to subdue you and take the ferry across on our own."

The man said nothing for a moment as he started at the money the man before him held. It was a good deal, the group thought, and surely he'd accept.

"Alright," the man said at last as he slightly tipped back his hat with a wide grin. "You've got yerself a deal, pal," he told Shinji he then stowed away the money.

"We've been told to give the money back once we've returned to this very spot in the future week or so."

"That's fine with me, don't expect anything less," he told as he then turned to the craft slightly bobbing along the water's surface. Walking onto the meager wooden dock of only about ten yards long, he called them over. "Besides," the man said as he began to untie the ferry from the dock. "I can got you there quicker than anyone… it'd probably take the four of you weeks to navigate through the fog," he finished with a hearty laugh, and the four all nodded their agreement.

----------------

_He's right… I'd never find my way through this mist without going insane_, Atsuka though as she sat at the prow of the ship, leaning against the rail with her arm draped over the side. As much as she wanted to, something stopped her from running her fingers through the water. A slight noise made her whip her head about.

"Oh… Shinji, you startled me," she breathed out from behind her mask. He came and sat beside her, back against the short railing.

"Sorry. I just can't stand Nami's rambling." She could hear the grin in his voice.

"Exactly why I'm up here," she commented. Nami and the boat man, who called himself Shiro, took quickly to simple conversation. Not in the mood to join, Atsuka had immediately come to sit where she was now. Their voices still could be heard past the wooden cabin in the center of the ferry, mostly Nami's high pitch tones and Shiro's deep ones.

"Hmm… Have you ever been to the Water Country before?"

"No… Only different parts of Fire and Sand," Atsuka responded to his question. With a nod, he fell silent. The sound of the rain pattering upon the simple eave like roof above them was lulling almost, along with the many small slaps the drops made against the water's surface.


	7. Chapter 7

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of those characters. Kishimoto does.**

Ch.7

When Kakashi said 'catch up later', he should have known it would involve Genma dragging him to the pub for a few drinks. Try as he might though, Genma couldn't get one drink down Kakashi like usual, as well as a conversation. He'd answer him 'yes' or 'no', other times only giving a 'hmm' or other one or two word answers. Although he well knew that Kakashi was usually a man of few words, this was just ridiculous.

"Hey, Hatake, what's with you tonight?"

"Hmm?"

"Why so quite? Something the matter?"

His visible eye creased as he smiled and dismissed his friend's worry. "I'm fine."

"Alright… if you say so," Genma told in surrender, although he still kept his suspicion as he sipped gingerly at a not to heavy mixed drink. Over time, other elites filled their table and were sharing drinks and stories like usual. Over time, Genma became a bit too intoxicated for Kakashi's likes. The senbon-chewing jounin finally slipped away from the table.

_The hunt is on_, Kakashi mused as he watched his more than buzzed friend mosey around to the women that filled the pub, flashing heart melting smirks and teasing waves their way. Finding this to be the opportune moment to slip away, Kakashi did just that. Leaving behind the noisy and liquor scented pub, he wandered the streets and found himself once again before the village's memorial stone. When he felt the presence of another a few moments later, he wasn't too surprised as he looked over to see Genma, standing there with a senbon in tow, leaning casually on one leg.

"Came to see if you're okay," he told with a grin.

"Now's not a good time, Shiranui…I'm not in the mood to talk."

"Even with me?" he asked in a seductive way, but not drawing anything out of Kakashi but one of those blank stares.

"Especially with you," he responded a little softer than Genma liked. He frowned and took a few steps closer to the copy-nin. That was when Genma was sure something was wrong. It wasn't like Kakashi to say something like that, then not afterwards say 'I'm only kidding' with a little chuckle.

"Alright, Kakashi… what's wrong," Genma asked, his voice brimming with a seriousness Kakashi only heard during mission briefings. Even in there it was a rarity. With a sigh, Kakashi stood from his kneel to face his friend.

"Hmm… well…"

"Does this have to do with her?"

Kakashi rose a brow; Genma didn't smirk or chuckle or say something smart. Genma took Kakashi's silence as his answer.

"Look Kakashi, she…"

"She feels like you use her," Kakashi cut in. He felt bad that he was telling him this, but it had to be done, even if it turned out to Atsuka beating him into mushy pulp. Genma cocked a brow.

"She what? You do know that…"

"She'd come to you at times?"

"Yeah."

Silence.

"So what's this about?"

"I don't want to argue or fight with you, Shiranui… I just think… know… what Atsuka wants from you."

"And that is?"

"For you to leave her alone…"

More silence.

"Leave her alone?" he repeated as if that was something he should have done in the first place.

"Yeah…"

Genma slightly rubbed the back of his head and nodded.

"She's just… too important," Kakashi told him quietly, but Genma though that he said that statement more to himself then it's intention of being aimed at him. But, Genma already knew this back on that day in May. He knew that Atsuka wasn't one of those girls from the pub. Kakashi was right to say that he should leave her be. Genma told himself that over and over again. But sometimes he'd find himself at her home, and sometimes he'd come home to find her there. Those times he inwardly cursed, wishing she'd not be there. But sake and alcohol made such thoughts come after she'd leave.

"Yeah… she is…" This time he did grin, but in an innocent way, and Kakashi inwardly smiled. Genma was probably more afraid of commitments than himself. Maybe that's why he didn't put up a fight. And Genma himself knew that too. He found a sort of safety with other women. It was all about commitments. Or fear. Or not wanting to take responsibility. Genma wasn't sure if he was ready for that type of responsibility.

"Hmm… thanks for understanding, Shiranui."

"Yeah… so what's going on with the two of you, then?"

"What do you mean."

"Heh, never mind, Hatake… I'll see you around."

And with a puff of smoke, Genma was gone.

_That went better than expected_.


	8. Chapter 8

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of those characters. Kishimoto does.**

Ch.8

"_What are you doing with that?"_

"…_Nothing…"_

"…_I don't trust you…"_

_A brow was rose and a smile spread across his lips._

"_Hey… no get away! No, give me back my arm!"_

_He easily pinned her easily to the floor of her apartment, pulling up the sleeve of her navy, jounin shirt, and undid the lid of the marker in his hand._

"_I'm a wonderful artist," he told with a smile, lowering the pen to her skin. She sighed in defeat after she tried her best to struggle, and merely watched from the corner of her eye._

"_It has to be permanent?"_

"_Uh huh."_

_A few seconds of silence followed as she waited for him to finish._

"_Alright, all done."_

"…" _She sat up as she felt his weight leave her back. "Huh? What's…?"_

"_See…I told you I was good…"_

"…_For a six year old…Wait I'm kidding! Ah! Not the face!"_

---------

"What's that?"

"What's what?"

"That," Shinji pointed to her arm where she had slightly pulled down her glove and was scratching with her pearly nails. She herself looked down at her arm to a slightly faded black smiley face with a slash over the left eye. Running her fingers over the remnants of permanent, black ink, she grinned under that cat like mask.

"Oh…It's…"

"It kind of looks… familiar… somewhat. What's with the line over the eye."

"Oh, you'd have to know the person who did it," she told with a laugh.

"Hmm… Guess you're right… I don't know him, but I've heard my fair share."

"Ah…" She grinned, still unawares to him, and pulled the sleeve of the glove back in position under the swiveled ANBU tattoo. Looking back out into the thick mist, she sighed.

"Are you close?"

"Hmm?"

He lifted his hand and put a finger on his arms where the little face was hiding.

"With him."

"Oh… Yeah… but not in _that_ way," she told, confirming his hopes.

"Oh… so you're not seeing anyone?"

"Eh?… Oh… Shinji." She sighed and lifted her mask, sliding it up to rest it upon her head, and he following her movements. Shinji was rather attractive, and smart, and respectful. Yet… he was, too… Her hazel eyes slightly shied away from his intense, crystalline gaze.

"So… it still is _that_ way?"

"Umm…I think it still is" she told with a small smile. After their talk, she had to believe it could go back to being that way.

"It's not that I'm younger than you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Hmm… well, I don't want to be called a 'cradle robber' by anyone," she told with a laugh as Shinji rose a brow. But laughter escaped his lips, and Atsuka felt the little knot of tension that had slightly been gathering unravel and dissipated with the rain.

"But don't be discouraged… maybe something will happen," she said with a bob of her shoulders. Yet, Shinji could somewhat tell by her expression what she did not want something along those lines to happen.

Neither did Atsuka.

----------

"_Oh, Kakashi, this is Tsukatu Atsuka. She's another member of the ANBU squad for the upcoming mission, along with the two you meet earlier. Atsuka, this is Hatake Kakashi."_

"_Ah, it's nice to meet you, Atsuka," told the twenty year old, silver haired jounin. Hazel orbs regarded him for a moment from under thick bangs that curtained the young woman's face, slightly hiding her eyes. At first, she seemed aloof, and he thought she might stand there forever, staring at him. But, the woman cracked a smile, her teeth straight and pearly, and put forth a hand, which he took hold of and gave a gentle shake._

"_And you, Kakashi." _

_----------_

"We'll hit the shore in a moment," came Shiro's voice from the back of the boat. The group had to put their trust in the man seeing as the thick fog still blanketed the waters and made it quite impossible to see; save for the medic Osamu, whom Atsuka fancied used chakra to see as well as he said he could. Still at the prow of the craft, Shinji at her side, she waited for the first sights of water country.

"We'll move out quickly once we hit shore," he told her, voice muffled as both had slid their ANBU masks back into place, concealing their faces. "I guess I want to hit the ground running, and not waste any time."

"Right, sounds good," Atsuka responded, and nodded slightly in agreement. As she was about to speak again, there was a lurch and a 'Sorry!' from the back of the boat, then the faint mumbled of Nami.

"Hah! I guess we made shore!" Shiro called out, Atsuka and Shinji shaking their heads in disbelief as they rose to their feet from their toppled positions. Atsuka followed Shinji as he made to jump into the land, doing as he did, and followed in suit by a still peeved Nami and slightly sore Osamu.

"Well, I guess I'll see the three of you in a week or so," Shiro gave as he watched them off. Shinji nodded, and shook hands with the man.

"Right, thank you for your corporation, Shiro."

And then the three were gone, a slight upturn of grass in their wake.


	9. Chapter 9

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any character from that anime/manga. They are Kishimoto's.**

Ch.9

"_Do you mind?"_

"_Huh?" He turned his head up, his eyes laying upon the questioner's person. Their red scarf hung loose about their shoulders and a gloved hand trailed up to their mask to pull it up and rest it on their head. Hazel orbs peered down at him, delightful in color, almost uplifting against the grey skies. The rain was pelting down, and the tree which he had been sitting under only provided so much protection. This was the second time she came over, he had thought to himself as he quirked a brow. The first had been the day before, where she had merely came to escape the other members disputing about their favorite model, finding them immature. If only she knew the things that went through his head sometimes, would she be to willing to come over and talk to him? That made him grin like a schoolboy._

_She pointed next to him, and he understood her meaning and shrugged slightly._

"…_No…"_

_His eyes followed her as she walked a bit closer, and sat down a few feet away, legs bent, and her arms lazily draped over her knees. Funny how she reminded him of himself with that posture, aloof and lazy. As she settled down, and her eyes looked to his, he couldn't help but stare for a moment, before gently clearing his throat and looking away. _

_And then the silence._

_It wasn't awkward, really, the sound of the rain drops hitting against the foliage above provided enough noise, along with the distant mummers of the other two group members. His eyes had slowly made their way to settle upon the person accompanying him, up her legs and to the bare skin of her toned shoulder. Her ANBU tattoo was sharp on her arm, that onyx black against her pale dermis. But, he noticed that her skin was much more than pale, slightly blue, purple and covered in little goose bumps. _

_His eyes finally flicked up, she looking slightly in the other direction, to she that her jaw was trembling. First reactions would have been that she was crying, but he knew all too well. It made him laugh inwardly, and he was glad her head was turned as he was sure she would question the look of admiration for her humbleness on his face, well, in his one, visible eye. _

"_Uh…" Her breath turned white before her, head turning quickly when she felt a great warmth against her left side. She almost jumped when she was face to face with her silver haired team member. Teeth stopped chattering for a moment as she just looked at his slate grey eye. He hadn't noticed it before, but her lips were beginning to reveal a shade of a beautiful, but deadly, cobalt blue. Glad she didn't move, something he expected her to do with their close proximity, his eye creased in a smile as he watched her still somewhat shocked look calm back to normal._

_She wasn't really aware of how cold she was, until he sat beside her, shoulder pressed against her own, his body a beacon of heat of much needed warmth. The previous chattering of her teeth wasn't something she had been aware of. Lips parted as the chattering proceeded again, the whole of her body feeling quite numb, toes like they were going to fall off. Trying to say even the simplest of thanks to him, she found that nothing came out as she focused on savoring his warmth._

"_ANBU needs to give better uniforms," he proposed, arm lifting as his black gloved finger moved to her face to wipe a strand of sienna bang from her eyes. Water trickled down her cheeks, caught in her long lashes like diamonds. It was then he first admired her beauty after traveling with her for the past week, and not ever really, fully noticing until that moment. Her thin and cute nose, which was slightly red from the cold, and full, glossy lips. The dimples she had when she gave him a soft smile of thanks, the way her eyes, wise and mature, almost creased shut as she did so. Eyes complemented by nicely arched brows, not thin, but not thick. A few, white scars that etched her perfect skin adorned a few places on her cheek and chin, along with a few, barely visible freckles. The largest, along her cheek, was framed with tiny white scared dots, and he figured they were from stitches. He wondered why she had gotten stitches, and not had a medic-ninja fix the cut._

_His finger gently stroked it, and he felt her somewhat tense, her whole body giving a little jolt. It must have been sensitive, he figured, knowing all too well the tingle some oddly healed scars could create. She had given a soft chuckle; slightly shy, just slightly. _

"_That always happens when it's touched," she told, confirming his thoughts. "I did it myself a few months back on a mission… Our medic was killed…" Her eyes flickered, but her gaze remained locked with his. Shy now was her arm though, that slightly moved toward his own face. He didn't stop her, only observed her expression as she timidly moved towards his tilted hitai-ate. Her fingers brushed his clothed cheek, and she slightly drew her hand away. _

"…_Don't be afraid…"_

_With his words, her fingers gently snuck under the cloth of his headband, and slowly inched it up. Revealed, she expected another grey eye that was perhaps useless, but this one she met was closed to her. The scar that ran down his eye was quite vertical, almost like it was from a quick swipe of a blade. Her thumb rested over the scarred tissue that grazed the skin under his eye, and the expression she wore was almost sad. _

_That was quickly changed to awe, as she watched him almost struggle to lift the lid. Revealed was a deep, crimson orb, containing three dots, that reminded her of commas. His pupil shrunk as it was now exposed to the faint light, and she was transfixed. Mouth slightly agape, white breath trickling out from her parted lips, he almost laughed at how people become so entranced by the gift his now dead friend had given him a few years back. _

"_I've… heard so much about it."_

"_Good stuff?"_

"_And some bad… but not directed to you." He knew what she meant, her words directed to the Uchiha incident. It was funny to think, but he was finding this woman's company pleasant. She wasn't just beautiful, but powerful and intelligent, as she had shown over the past week. It made him chuckle to himself that he was sitting there, with a woman he barely knew, who was at the moment utterly involved with examining his sharingan, to find he wasn't the least bit uncomfortable with the situation. True, he'd never let the other members, and most likely anyone back in Konoha, do what this woman had just done; and he couldn't contemplate his behavior for letting her proceed with those actions. _

_Is she special? Different? Does she hold a power over me that others, others I've known for years, don't wield?_

_He didn't put it past her to be those, seeing how he earlier acknowledged her vast strengths. With a mental sigh, he supposed time would tell eventually. After a few minutes, she had cracked a smile and let her arm fall. No words of her many thoughts and questions were spoken as the two sat side by side, sharing their body heat; his arm now wrapped about her shoulders with her own about his back, as they waited to take off once again, watching the leaves fall heavy with water. _

_-------------_

It made him laugh to think he could remember all of her scars, which was a fare amount, much more than he would like to know she had. She, on the other hand, carried them like trophies, felt they made her learn from past experiences. The one he could perfectly see in his mind was the one on her cheek. Over the past four years, that self-stitched scar had healed over time much better than previously. Faint as it was, it was still there, and sometimes he'd gently stroke it as he did on that day, slightly frowning that it didn't tingle like it had before. The sight of her jolting with slight shock of the almost arousing feeling made him chuckle with delight. Yet, he had later found other, more efficient places, to cause similar effects.

A week had past since Atsuka left, and his days seemed quite bleak. It never, fully occurred to him how much he savored her company until she left for long periods of time.

_I guess you really don't know how much you love something until it's gone._

At least Genma was still acting normal. He showed no signs of discomfort around Kakashi, never bringing up the subject about their talk concerning Atsuka. Yet, Kakashi wasn't stupid. He knew Atsuka had some effect on the senbon-chewing jounin, and he figured Atsuka was the best thing that had happened to him. It was sad that she couldn't change him. They did seemed quite the fit for one another, but Genma just loved his women, and Kakashi wasn't sure then if he was now sad that she didn't change him, or happy.

True he loved Atsuka dearly. But, was it the same love they shared a few years ago?

_Of course it is…it always has been…_

But still. He still wasn't sure if he could give her what she wanted; needed. The thought of hurting her infuriated him, but he had told her he had opened his eyes. Which he did. It was completely stupid of him to even let Genma have a straight path towards her, this he told himself over and over and over again. In the past years, they told each other they loved one another. But now, what he felt _was_ love. _Love!_

Kakashi wasn't naïve or oblivious. He would do anything for that woman. Yet, anything also included not getting involved. Already establishing that he could hurt her far wore than Genma, he had to believe that letting her slip by in that area was for the best.

_I'm not a comforter…I'm no hopeless romantic…And a life long commitment like that isn't in me…_

During few years they were together, it was mostly passion. Fearing what the village would think if they were together, they hid their secret, and that left little time for the two to be together without suspicion. They only had the night to share each other's bed for a few hours before someone would slip away before dawn in fear of being caught. And they were even sure why they were that way. Both were adults and could have easily handled the effects their relationship might have brought if everyone had known.

With a sigh, he rubbed his temples in frustration and stared lazily about the clearing, secretly wishing she'd appear on the horizon and everything would work out.

_At least I still have time to figure this out…_

_-------------_

"Shiro? Are you there?"

There, upon the still, icy waters, was the man's docked ferry. But as the group called, there came no answer. After a quick search on the boat and about the perimeter of the area, still, they found no signs of the gruff ferry man. They had fully expected the man to be there. Fully expected him to stay for the large sum of money.

"This isn't right," Nami whispered behind her painted mask.

"No… it's not, something happened… He must have been ambushed," Osamu gave as he was still looking about the trees surrounding the area.

"Then why is the boat still here?" Shinji commented in his cool tones. Atsuka remained quiet, but had her own suspicions. They waited for her theory, but she gave them none.

"Since we didn't not find even a trace of him, we'll have to assume something happened and that it was not in the mission to look after him," Shinji told the group, who all nodded their agreements. "We'll take the boat ourselves… and hope for the best with this fog…"

------------

It had been three weeks, and he fully expected her team back by that day. And so, he waited. Waited right by the gate entrance. Right where everyone could see him standing, watching the people who came in and out of the village. And he had been standing there since morning. The guards hadn't said a word, respecting him too much to speak up.

He would wait there until he saw here come into view and walk through those gates.

He told her that he had opened his eyes… and so he was going to stay true to his words.

--------

_Konoha!_

The sight of their village made all the four team members quicken their pace despite sore legs and slightly drained chakra. Cast in the late noon sun, the village looked so welcoming after being absent for three weeks of tedious information gathering and scroll exchanging. How they all wanted to get home and kick of their sandals for a long, hot shower.

It had been snowing, the ground cast in a blanket of silver, and still it fell softly from the sky. All were cold and sick of their lack of proper clothing, inwardly cursing their ANBU uniforms. Konoha had made all those thoughts dissipate, as all minds were filled with the same thought: _home!_

Yet, something caught Atsuka's eye, a silver and dark navy fleck just inside the gates of their village. The lazy slouch and orange book were not present, hands were hanging at his sides and not shoved deep into his pockets. Not surprised to see him there waiting, but surprised by that posture, Atsuka wondered if something was wrong.

The gate guards checked them in with nodded and 'welcome backs', and the team were officially home. Her eyes never left him from under her painted mask, and she felt his own, intense gaze upon her like that of a stalking tiger. As the team went farther in, Atsuka fully expected him to stand there and make her come all the way for their reunion, but there he was, walking towards her group with an easy pace.

She only expected a smile and him saying 'Yo' like he always had. But what he did do not only surprised her or himself, but everyone in view of the returning ANBU group. He had come toe to toe to her in what seemed in the blink of an eye, had eagerly yanked down his mask to have it pool about his neck and swiped her own painted one clear off her face. The other hand reached about into her hair and pulled her close as he crushed his rarely visible lips onto her own.

Many eye brows rose, along with a fare share of smiles and giggles.

To Atsuka, who was still bewildered beyond belief, it was as it the world had stopped and nothing, nothing, could ruin this moment, or they'd have a very pissed off woman to deal with. Her own hands snaked about the man before her; his warmth something she had been craving the past three weeks, his kiss something she had been craving for the past many months. After what seemed an eternity, but was actually only about thirty seconds, did he finally pull away, his lips still lingering near her own.

"Welcome back," he told in that deep, rich voice that had always made her knees weak. Breathing out, her lips were tugged into a smile and she couldn't help but let out a warm laugh. Just as their tender moment had begun, it was ended. And by who other than their senbon-chewing jounin.

"I knew it!"

Both heads turned to look at the caramel haired man to see a senbon at his feet and a finger pointed at the two in their embrace.

"I knew it, I knew it, I_ knew _it!"

The couple glanced at one another while their friend quickly swiped up his senbon and walked quickly over to them. Both let their arms slip from the other, yet, Kakashi's found a comfortable position about Atsuka's waist, and waited for their friend to continue rambling.

"Knew what?" Kakashi finally asked as their friend was having trouble finding his words. But, like in most situations with the flirtatious man, his lips curled about that sliver of metal in his mouth, and he gave the pair a devious look.

"So… how long has this been going on for?"

"Longer than you think," Kakashi told him flatly, and Genma rose a brow in a curious manner.

"So much for being 'really good friends' then, eh Hatake? I always had a feeling something was going on between you two. Always had a haunch. And what do you know, I was right!"

"Shiranui… if you don't drop it, I'll take that senbon form your mouth and have Atsuka place it somewhere you cherish much more fondly than most men."

Genma blinked and looked to the woman, clad in ANBU garb and looking pretty damn sexy, _Not now, Genma,_ give him a mischievous smile and enticing, but deadly, smirk.

"How 'bout it, Genma… up for my offer?" Kakashi asked, Atsuka's lips curving into their own devious grin.

"Heh… how 'bout some other time, eh Kakashi?" he told with a raised hand, then looked to his companion. "Atsuka," he told with a nod of farewell, and disappeared with a poof of smoke. Both could only laugh at Genma's reaction, but then they noticed the many faces watching them. Atsuka noted her team had left, and wondered if Shinji was now glad for her, or jealous of the silver haired jounin?

Thoughts of such were quickly squished as she felt a pull at her waist. Looking up, she noted the mask about his neck had moved back up to hide his face, but that one, visible eye of his looked down at her with the utmost affection she had ever witness from any Kakashi, let alone any man. Even though most couples would carry out mushy words, the two felt they were more than those sweet nothings years ago.

"I'm freezing my ass off," she told him with a grin, which changed into a smile like that off a child. "And hungry!" He laughed and offered to buy her ramen, which she hastily accepted to, and they took off down the road, hand in hand, ignoring still the snickers and whispers about them.


	10. Chapter 10

-1**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Mishimoto does.**

Ch. 10

It had been a month since her return, and nothing seemed to strange. The now reunited couple found that everyone accepted of their relationship, some even confessing that, like Genma, they suspected something, but never thought about bringing it up. They didn't have to worry about words being spoken behind their backs or snide glares. Only warm smiles and the occasional tease by their ninja elite friends.

"Hmm… so what have the two love birds been up to lately?" asked Genma at their table in the village pub. The others, Gai, Anko, Kurenai, Asuma, Gekko, and a few others, rose their brows at the two sitting aside another, all wearing grins. Atsuka merely sipped at her cup of green tea, while Kakashi gave them all a blank stare.

But as Atsuka set down her cup, she closed her eyes and responded.

"Nothing much," she told them, but her tone didn't portray much innocence. This retrieved some moans from the group, but a crease in Kakashi's eye. They had been trying to get something out of the two about their love life, mostly Genma and Anko, but they never budged.

"Fine!" Genma retorted as he slouched in his seat and drained another sake. "Don't tell us…"

"Alright… I won't," she answered smugly, taking another sip of her tea.

"But I bet you guys poke every night!" This made Atsuka choke on her tea and give some violent coughs. Kakashi patted her hard enough to help her not die, and gave a hopeless look to Genma. "What!"

"Shut the hell up, Shiranui!" Atsuka yelled through some more coughs as Kakashi gave her another pat on her back. The rest only chuckled softly. It seemed this happened every time Genma was around. He knew just the things to get Atsuka boiling.

"You know that offer I made to you that day Atsuka came back a month ago, Genma?" Kakashi told with a little glint in his eyes, and Atsuka smirked through another cough. Genma gave a nervous laugh, and remained silent as the other elites took off with conversation, that, luckily for the couple, didn't involve them and their personal life.

-------------

It was March now. Spring was rolling fresh onto Konoha, the wild flowers and soft showers of rain blanketed the village in rich aromas. The days were beginning to steadily grow longer, but the air was still cool and crisp. The small clearing wasn't yet cast in the morning light as dusk was still at hand. The sky was dull with dappled clouds as rain was threatening the lands once again. And yet, she always thought that the crack of dawn was the best time to train. Although most people were still asleep at five thirty in the morning, Atsuka was up and going since two years ago when she had started her recovery with Kakashi. It had become a habit to bed early enough for at least six hours of sleep, and wake up when the sun was still down. Besides, she always had the weekends to sleep in.

"I thought I'd find you here."

She turned her head from where she stood in the center of the clearing to the unexpected voice she heard.

"You're up awfully early. Why's that, Kakashi?"

His visible eye creased in a smile as he started to walk over. Atsuka watched as she turned her self fully about, noticing how he had his hands behind his back.

"Well, today is your day… I thought I wake up a bit earlier… thought you might like that."

"Hmm… what do you have behind you back?" she asked with a grin. He stopped a few feet before her, and the two locked eyes. When she was about to break the silence, he pulled an arm about, as if he could read her mind, and revealed a small white box. With a few blinks at it, she rose a questioning brow. It was long a slender, and her first thoughts went to those fancy hair sticks she saw in town and had secretly wanted. But when he handed it over saying 'happy birthday', and she opened the little hinged lid, her eyes lit up and a smile crept over her lips.

"Oh, wow! It's beautiful!" She wasn't much of a 'girly-girl' to begin with, she thought as her eyes scanned over a silver kunai sitting gently amongst silver blue silk. The usual white tape wrapped about the handle of the blade was similar to the colour of the box's lining, as well as a tassel that was tied to the ring at the bottom of the blade. There was kanji etched in silver white, running down one side of the blade that read 'Winter's Breath', and that made her lift her head with a cocked brow. "What's that mean?"

"Hmm… well, this is no ordinary kunai… Made from pure silver. It's said to have been passed down by an ancient clan of ninja who lived north, where it was always snowing. They say it's special, that it wields the powers of that clan."

Atsuka ran a finger over the cool, precious metal with a look of awe in her eyes. "I love it," she almost whispered, then snapped the box shut. The two jounins locked eyes once again for a moment, but then Atsuka rolled onto her heels and grinned like a young child. "Train with me?"

"Alright," he agreed with a bob of his shoulders, and the two were off as the sun was illuminating the horizon in a myriad of gold's.

-----------------

"I've a mission coming up soon…"

"ANBU?"

"Yeah… A Class… but something that could turn higher… something really important…"

"Who does it evolve?"

"Some powerful elite nins from wind country I guess…"

"When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure… a month… two… a year… Ibiki doesn't know. We're supposed to be gathering information. The Hokage fears they might be on Fire's boarder. There have been complaints that a group have been reeking havoc. Sand nin's confirmed that they are a group of missing nins that turned against their village. Their search stopped once the group made their way into Fire, and the Scouting Sand informed the Third Hokage."

"And this is where you come in?"

She tilted her head so she could look at him, the two currently sitting together, Kakashi against a tree, Atsuka against him. Their training lasted well into the morning, and took to rest when the sun behind the graying clouds told them it was around nine.

"Yeah… Worried?"

"Hmm… no, not really." But, of course he was. She knew it. It was the same way every time she had an ANBU mission.

"Right. Well, I leave in a few days."

"Good," he responded, snuggling his head into her neck and shoulder, arms about her waist squeezing tighter, making her smile and bring a hand up to run through his silver mane. "I still have you for a while then," he spoke voice muffled, into her neck.

"Yeah," she answered with a warm laugh, pleased that little moment like this meant so much.

------------

_It wasn't meant to end this way…_

_This wasn't supposed to happen…_

_I shouldn't have gotten this…_

_It doesn't belong to me…_

_Why did you have to go?_

_Go somewhere that I cannot follow?_

_I know I shouldn't say this… _

_But it isn't fair…_

_It just isn't fair…_

_------------_

"Kakashi?"

"Hmm? Oh, hello Genma…"

"You… well… okay?"

"Yeah… I'm okay…"

"Hmm…" Genma's eyes looked down at his friend who continuously stroked the black stone with the many name's of fallen ninja carved painfully into it. Crouching along side the grieving copy-nin, is caramel eyes traveled over to the name now revealed, yet he knew whose it was from the very day it was carved into some month past.

_Tsukatu Atsuka_

"I'm sorry again, Hatake… I just… can't believe she's gone," he whispered, fighting the sting in his eyes just as he had been the past few weeks. Looking over, he could see something in Kakashi's other hand. A cat like, red marked ANBU mask. _Her_ mask. When the team returned, they had given it to Kakashi. At first, he didn't believe them. He didn't think it was possible. He didn't want to think it was possible.

It was November when she passed away… Ironic… She had survived the last time, but luck wasn't with her those few weeks ago.

"It's okay, Shiranui… Don't worry. She's probably happy… hmm… Wouldn't want us to mope around like this," he mumbled, but couldn't help a soft chuckle at his words and sounds sounding cliché, but, also, their truth.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sure as hell going to miss those hazel eyes. Always bright even when she was upset… Do you mind me asking… how long you two were… well… together?"

"…When we met one day on a mission briefing, I didn't think much of her… But during that mission… she proved herself strong… She was so cold that day, I thought her veins ran with ice… But was so warm on the outside… I thought surely she was an angel… I had only been twenty then, and she nineteen… But… it felt like… felt like I knew her more than anyone else ever had… She told me things that I would imagine she'd ever speak to anyone… I told her things I'd never tell to anyone… Our dreams… our secrets… our fears… But now… I'm not sure what I'll do now…" He trailed away after that, his voice becoming softer as he reminisced. Genma was surprised that he spoke of such things and kept a more or less placid façade. Placing a comforting hand on his heart wrenched friend's arm, he gave it a gentle pat and smiled.

"That's what you have me for, Kakashi! I know she's gone, but like you said, she 'wouldn't want us to mope'!"

It was different when Genma said those words. Kakashi wanted to deck him one, to break this stone before him and find her. Look for her and see if she was alive. A little part of him thought, wished that she was still out there, waiting for him to find her. But it wasn't true… it wouldn't happen. She was gone, and there was nothing he could do to bring her back. All he could do was to accept her death and move on with life with his fond memories of their time together.

"Thank's, Genma… Don't know what I'd do without you," he told his grinning friend with a smile creased eye.

"You'd rot away; that's what! Come on, I'll buy you a drink!"

-----------

He had place her mask gently in a chest filled with other items of memories from his life, stowed with care in his closet. It felt like he was locking memories of her away as he turned the little key and placed it in his pocket once more.

_No… those will be locked in my mind forever… in my heart…_

He then thought that, he was possibly locking away his fear. The loss and the pain it brought was all locked away in that chest. That mask. ANBU was the thing that had almost taken her life three year ago, but had finally succeeded; he knew it would someday. She had known his fear, but never was persuaded to stay, always going in the end. It wasn't that she wasn't capable… That she wasn't strong enough, smart enough. She was only human… she had her flaws and made mistakes, which, unfortunately, along with the saying 'things happen', was her downfall.

It was said a well place kunai brought her down. Right through her neck. The enemy was so close as they fought toe to toe, she had had little time to react when rendering hand signs to a jutsu that could have saved her life. Yet, it was just that. Things _do_ happen, and he was finally accepting that once again as he had done with his father and Obito and Rin and all of the people who he had called friends.

With a deep sigh, the famous copy-nin gently closed the door of his closet and turned to the little white box at his night stand, lid flipped open, and the morning light gleaming off the metal blade like a mirror for the heavens. He wasn't sure why he didn't put the kunai away with her mask, but he felt that it reminded him of her in some, strange way. It was as if she was Winter's Breath, or perhaps a servant to it, and they finally called her back, needing her assistance once again.

_She is now a distant vertigo. One I'll never be able to match._

"I'll sure as hell miss those hazel eyes too, Genma."

--------------------

The End

Notes: Well, that was my first Naruto Fanfic… I must say, it was fun. It wasn't something really serious… I just wanted to write and did.

I killed off my OC… cuz I wanted to stay true to the Original story line… with Kakashi getting Team seven and what not… so I killed her. What do you think? Was it a good idea? Was the story good? I hope you guys liked it… I plan to do another Naruto after I read more manga… I wanna do a KakaSaku…. I'm like crazy about that pairing… well, peace.


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